ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION AND THE CHALLENGES OF GRADUATES SELF-RELIANCE IN STATE UNIVERSITIES IN SOUTH-WEST, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined entrepreneurship education and the challenges of graduates’ self-reliance in state universities in South-West, Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used. The population of the study comprised undergraduate students of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State and Lagos State University (LASU), Lagos State for the academic session of 2019/2020. A total of six hundred (600) undergraduate students of OOU and LASU were chosen using purposive sampling technique. Researcher Instrument tagged: Entrepreneurship Education and Self-Reliance Questionnaire (ENESRQ) with 0.75 as reliability coefficients was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics of mean and bar-chart were used for answering research questions one and two. Multiple regression analysis was used in answering research question three. The findings revealed that inadequate funding, inadequate teaching facilities, entrepreneurship curriculum contents, hasty preparation and poor enterprising culture were among the challenges preventing entrepreneurship education from achieving it is primary aims and objectives. Curiosity, time management, creativity, strategic thinking, efficiency, resilience, communication, networking, finance, branding and sales/marketing were among the needed entrepreneurship skills for graduates’ self-reliance. About 79% of the variance in graduates’ self-reliance in state universities in South-West, Nigeria was accounted for by the linear combination of the independent variables. It was recommended that entrepreneurship village should be established across universities in Nigeria to equip the undergraduate students’ entrepreneurship skills needed for self-reliance after graduation. Upgrading of lecturer quality through employment of professional and qualified lecturers and provision of in-service training and re-training.